Non Acute, Hospitalized, Not Life Threatening Tips

Tips for the Hospitalized/Not Life Threatening Setting

• Bring items such as a comfy blanket from your loved one’s bed, a favorite sweater, and one or two family pictures. This helps your loved one focus on positive things from home and can lead to a more pleasant and possibly even speedier recovery.
• Leave a clipboard or notebook by the bed with any questions or concerns for doctors if you are unable to catch them during your visits.
• Leave a list by the bed for all visitors with helpful things they can do to participate in the recovery of your loved one. For example, the note can ask anyone visiting between 12 & 2 PM to please take loved one for a walk and record time or distance walked. Or you can ask visitors to help with word recognition, stretching, even making a note of how much fluid or food your loved one consumed during the visit.
• During meetings with your loved one’s hospital team, take notes or record the meetings to review or listen to later, when you are able to focus clearly; don’t worry if at the time you do nothing with the information or if you feel like there is too much information to grasp. It will take time to process and you may feel overwhelmed initially.
• Ask your doctors, therapists and social worker a lot of questions. The answers will help you develop a care plan and make decisions on caregiving. Link to developing your care team page.
• Modify your plan to fit the particular needs of your loved one and your family. The answers from healthcare professionals are somewhat general. It is important that you listen and then meet with your family and/or support team to decide what will work in your situation. Every case is different, every survivor is different, and every family/support team is different. Perhaps you have a sister who is a nurse or a therapist or a cousin who is not working and able to help out. Maybe you need to reach out to your church or neighbors.
• Be realistic about your loved one’s status. It’s tempting to dismiss your doctor’s prognosis, especially if it’s something you don’t want to hear. But it is important to listen carefully to what the doctors and nurses tell you about recovery, rehabilitation and complications. In my case, the doctors said my Mom might not walk or talk ever again. I remember thinking, my Mom is a fighter. She’s a tough lady.  She will be walking and talking within a year. So when I made my decisions about how to care for Mom, I was thinking of a one-year timeframe. Instead, I was Mom’s care partner for eight years. She never did walk or talk again on her own. Although I treasured this time with her, I was not prepared for the journey to last so long. Don’t give up hope, but make sure  you determine your loved one’s care plan based on the facts.
• Be open and flexible.  The plan you make today will change and require adjustments. As your loved one improves, you may need less care. If new health issues arise, you will need more help or you may have to consider other living arrangements. Your care plan will need to change to accommodate new challenges.
• Discuss the possibility of shadowing the care team while they are taking care of your loved one. This allows you to observe how certain things are done so that you can replicate it on your own. In my case, I was allowed to shadow every care provider at the acute rehab center for the entire time my mom was there. By the time she was discharged, I felt comfortable with my new duties as a caregiver.In most hospital settings staff is spread pretty thin and the staff will appreciate your assistance. Let the staff know you want to help out and ask for tips as to what you can do.
• Decisions about health care and caregiving can be very stressful on a family. This is a good time to begin having family meetings and/or discussions to open communication and minimize hurt feelings and arguments.

Armed with the right information, you can do whatever you need to do to get the best care possible for your loved one.